With scores of fresh new faces in town for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, we decided to hold a casting and get to know a few of them. From surfers to skipping champions, social workers to pharmacy students, meet the models living it up Down Under. Photography by Kay Sukumar

Skye Mitchell-Innes

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@skye_mi

Notes:

Skye's from the Sydney beachside suburb of Bronte, and was discovered outside of her high school. She's in Year 12, plays soccer, and is interested in art, takes pottery lessons, and loves drawing. In the future she's considering studying psychology.

Brooke Prentice

Agency:

FiveTwenty Model Management

Instagram:

@brookeprentice

Notes:

Brooke is a high schooler from northern Sydney. She was scouted in a sports store after netball practice around 8 months ago. In addition to modelling she's interested in photography and surfing. Her fave beach is Curl Curl.

Ellie Wilkinson

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@ellie_wilkinson

Notes:

Three years ago Ellie was scouted at a Justin Bieber concert and has been modelling ever since. She's in Year 12 of high school and very involved in sport, including soccer, netball, basketball, but especially skipping. She has been to the skipping world championships and now teaches skipping at her local skipping club on Sydney's lower north shore.

Kat Wu

Agency:

Priscilla's Model Management (Sydney)

Instagram:

@whoiskat

Notes:

Kat is from Liverpool in Sydney's southwestern suburbs. She just finished high school and has been modelling since the beginning of the year. Apart from fashion, she loves music (r&b, hip hop), yoga, and food (Japanese in particular.)

Lis van Velthoven

Agency:

Chic Management (Sydney)

Instagram:

@lisvanvelthoven

Notes:

Lis loves horse riding and reading. She's from Tilburg in The Netherlands and was scouted whilst walking down the street in Amsterdam. The last book she read was a Saskia Noort thriller.

Brooke Fisher

Agency:

Chadwick Models (Sydney)

Instagram:

@fisher_brooke

Notes:

Brooke is from Seattle but currently lives in Los Angeles. She was scouted in Santa Monica while entering shoe raffles so she could buy Yeezys for her boyfriend. She loves animals--all animals, especially farm animals like horses and pigs. Her fave thing is yoga, which she has been practicing for five years. This is her first time in Sydney; she's also modelled in NY, and in South Korea when she was younger.

Carol Zhu

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@carolzhu_

Notes:

Carol is from Sydney's Sutherland Shire area. She was scouted on instagram, getting sent a Direct Message from IMG after using the #weloveyourgenes tag. She enjoys playing the piano, and exercising--running and cardio. In the future she'd like to study nutrition science at university.

Kes

Agency:

THE.mgmt (Alexandria)

Instagram:

@kato.malfoy

Notes:

Kes was scouted at Glebe Markets, where she was selling vintage clothes, and started modelling just over a month ago. She's super interested in feminism and politics, as well as performing arts and dogs (staffies in particular).

Ella Begg

Agency:

Vivien's Model Management- Sydney (Sydney)

Instagram:

@ellllabegggg

Notes:

Growing up Ella had been told she should model several times, so her mother researched agencies. She has just moved to Sydney from Brisbane, and she loves cooking, yoga and pilates. Ella is also into sports, practicing tennis, basketball, swimming, netball, and athletics.

Emily Hall

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@theemilyhall

Notes:

Emily is from Spokane, Washington, and has wanted to model since she was 12 1/2. Her parents initially said no to modelling but began to support her when she pursued it anyway. Emily is interested in health and nutrition, playing guitar, and riding horses. She's currently learning how to cook and is based in NY.

Ava Rose Peterson

Agency:

Chic Management (Sydney)

Instagram:

@avapetersonn

Notes:

Ava got into modelling through the Girlfriend Model Search competition. She's from Darlinghurst in Sydney and in her last year of high school. The subjects she's focusing on for her Higher School Certificate (final exams) are: Drama, Italian Beginners, Business, Religion, English, and Maths.

Kawani Prenter

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@kawaniprenter

Notes:

Kawani got into modelling after being scouted at a BBQ. She's from North Narrabeen, a beachside suburb of Sydney, and loves swimming and surfing. Her background is Japanese/Brazilian/Irish/Australian.

Reagan Angelo

Agency:

Vivien's Model Management- Sydney (Sydney)

Instagram:

@reaganangelo

Notes:

Reagan is from Bakersfield, California, and was scouted at a Flame Broiler restaurant in Newport Beach. She'd like to eventually work in a creative industry like interior design. She's been renovating houses with her boyfriend back in California.

Franny Cowap

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@frannycowap

Notes:

Franny has modelled for a year and a half, working in Paris, London, and Milan as well as Sydney. She's from Sydney's inner west and is interested in art, going to the beach and to markets. Her local top spots are Wattamolla Beach, Glebe Markets and the Bondi Farmers Market.

Helene Leduc

Agency:

Vivien's Model Management- Sydney (Sydney)

Instagram:

@heleneleduc_

Notes:

Helene is from Paris and has been modelling full time since last September. So far she's only modelled in Sydney and Paris. She is a social worker, trying modelling now and planning on going back to social work after her fashion career.

Akiima

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@akiima

Notes:

Akiima is currently on break from studying nursing. She is South Sudanese and moved to Adelaide, Australia from Kenya in 2006. She has been modelling for two months.

Rosie Coppini

Agency:

Chic Management (Sydney)

Instagram:

@rosie.coppini

Notes:

While shopping at Westfield in Parramatta Rosie decided to sign up for the Girlfriend Model Search competition. She has since been modelling for 2 or 3 years, and is currently in her final year of high school. She loves writing, including fashion writing. She's also interested in performance as her mother was an actor, and Rosie grew up participating in a theatre company in Parramatta.

Emma Macgowan

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@emmamacgowan

Notes:

Emma was scouted walking down Rundell Mall in Adelaide, her hometown. She's in her final year of high school and competes for South Australia in volleyball (in the position of middle).

Tessa Westerhof

Agency:

Chadwick Models (Sydney)

Instagram:

@tessa.westerhof

Notes:

Tessa is originally from Amsterdam but has been in Sydney for over six months. The rest of the time she is based in London. She is interested in graphic design and photography.

Hannah Claverie

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@hannahclav

Notes:

Hannah grew up on the Gold Coast, where she was scouted at a night market. She's just finished her first year studying pharmacy at university. She wants to continue studying after modelling and eventually go into research, particularly in the area of drug discovery.

Millie McEvoy

Agency:

THE.mgmt (Alexandria)

Instagram:

@millie.mcevoy

Notes:

Millie was scouted at the Good Life music festival and started to get serious about modelling this year. She's from Sydney's eastern suburbs, is currently in Year 11 at high school, and hopes to study either nutrition or naturopathy at university.

Anna Emilia Seewald

Agency:

Vivien's Model Management- Sydney (Sydney)

Instagram:

@annaemiliaseewald

Notes:

Anna Emilia is from Helsinki, Finland, and just started skateboarding. She's currently reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson and also likes reading authors like Stieg Larsson while travelling.

Laura-Beth Taaffe

Agency:

Priscilla's Model Management (Sydney)

Instagram:

@laurabethtaaffe

Notes:

After contacting agencies Laura-Beth signed with Priscilla's. She has been modelling for five years. She loves fashion and dogs--she owns a chihuahua named Edie after Edie Sedgwick.

Gisele Pletzer

Agency:

THE.mgmt (Alexandria)

Instagram:

@giselemop

Notes:

Gisele is from Brisbane, where she was scouted at a shopping center. She has been based overseas, working in Milan, Paris, NY and LA. She loves art (painting and drawing) and dancing (ballet, jazz, and tap).

Amelleah Thomas

Agency:

IMG Australia (Sydney)

Instagram:

@amelleah.thomas

Notes:

Amelleah was scouted in a mall in her hometown of Perth, Western Australia. She enjoys writing fiction and short stories. So far she has only modelled in Australia.

Adelaide Sines

Agency:

Chadwick Models (Sydney)

Instagram:

@adelaide_sines

Notes:

Adelaide enjoys watching conspiracy theory videos. She likes sketching and using watercolours to create art. She is based in Sydney but originally comes from Brisbane.